To The Editor:

I’d like to add my voice to those demanding that Governor Lamont veto what is known as “An Act Concerning Housing and the Needs of Homeless Persons”, or House Bill 5002. I’m an alternate member on Newtown’s Planning & Zoning Commission, and I am working with two colleagues on that Commission, Don Mitchell and Greg Rich, to evaluate how Newtown can best address its local housing needs. This letter reflects my own opinions and not necessarily those of my colleagues.

Although I wholeheartedly agree that Connecticut and Newtown need more affordable housing, this legislation is a one-size-fits-all-solution to what is a very local problem that simply cannot be resolved with more state-level solutions. My colleagues and I have discussed our local housing situation with interested Newtowners and with our Planning and Zoning colleagues in surrounding towns. We have spent time reviewing and discussing the latest in housing policy with members of our local Western Connecticut Council of Governments. All of them recognize that although the problem is statewide in scope, the best solutions are local. We hope to have recommendations for consideration by the end of the summer.

HB5002 is a mish-mash of items, and they’re not all bad. It does give a nod to tailoring goals to local situations, such as in a renewed emphasis on local affordable housing plans and a more flexible way of measuring the number of affordable units, but it also contains provisions on off-street parking and incentives for housing developments near transit hubs that may cause more local mischief than solve local problems. When the bill is viewed in its totality, the Legislature must be sent back to the drawing board.

Above all, I think we must remember the goal is not just to create housing, but to create homes. We want people to live here, stay, and grow their families along with our community. We have a large older population that wants smaller ranch-style homes, not stacked boxes with a window. I hope that Newtown can and will create a great affordable housing plan tailored to our geography, our economy, and our age-related demographics, one that works with (and modifies where required) our robust planning and zoning processes. Together with the coming mixed-use development of the Fairfield Hills campus, it will take time, and the work won’t be very glamorous, but it will be the best thing we can do for ourselves and our future community over the long term.

Peter Schwarz

Newtown